


Crime, Law and Emotional Evasion

by Ass_Gardiann



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: AU, Angst, Crime AU, Jamilton - Freeform, M/M, Modern AU, Mystery, Police AU, Slow Burn, criminal, criminal hamilton, plz love me, police jefs
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-22
Updated: 2017-02-19
Packaged: 2018-09-19 03:16:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,658
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9415715
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ass_Gardiann/pseuds/Ass_Gardiann
Summary: Hamilton had always been ahead of everyone; being a world-class criminal, it was simply an expectation. However, after becoming a prime suspect of a crime he didn’t commit, the world seems to be speeding above and beyond his control. Crime continues to dominate his life in ways he would never have suspected, and soon enough, convincing Officer Jefferson of his innocence comes to be the least of his worries.**CURRENTLY ON HIATUS TO RETURN ON DECEMBER 2nd**





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I can't believe I'm doing this

Who was the person that came up with this sticky note idea? They needed a raise. It was ingenious! Putting sticky notes all over his cop's car- each one inscribed with a semi-dud code. Hamilton honestly wished he had come up with the idea himself. And sure, he would be taking most of the credit for it. He even made sure to smile and wave at the security camera across the street. Nothing topped off vandalism like the 'fuck you' face of an identifiable world class criminal. It was just such a time-wasting goose chase and he couldn't wait to see the horror of the car's owner when Hercules finally tapped into the camera.

Officer Thomas Jefferson was a loud, proud and smart cop. But above all else, Jefferson was Hamilton's cop. Jefferson had been assigned to his case exactly six months ago. Hamilton had figured that that Washington guy had seen his name in the files and given it off to his brightest. Well, it was more of a hope actually. Because sixth months and he was still free from bars. In fact, he was miles away from bars. No matter what Jefferson did, Hamilton was always one gigantic leap ahead of him, and he really hoped it pissed that damn cop off.

Despite it all, Jefferson did have his uses from time to time. Hamilton had gotten rid of his fair share of competition: guys who had been idiots or dicks to him, people who had screwed him over. He'd lead Jefferson right to their doorstep. Not that Jefferson realized this of course. But it was always Hamilton, always the subtle hints. Always just out of reach.

Yes, Hamilton was smart. Fucking smart. He knew what made Jefferson tick. In fact, he knew more things about Jefferson than even his best friend would care to remember. He had his ways, his people. If Hamilton really wanted to, he could learn every single dirty little secret in this damn city. Well, almost. King was the only guy with enough power for that. That man practically owned the city. Hamilton couldn't see the fun in doing something like that. Forgery and counterfeit with a side of vandalism and smart-assary; that's where Hamilton's real skills lied.

"Alexander get some fucking food in here, I'm hungry," Laurens called from the mess of a kitchen as doors and cupboards swung open only to be swiftly slammed shut with clutters and clashes. Laurens often spent the night at Hamilton's apartment. Even though Laurens himself wasn't a criminal, the two of them had always hit it off really well.

"Order something then!" Hamilton called back, hunched over his desk with his phone in his hands and a half-finished replica of one of Rothko's paintings on the table. Alexander had been anxiously awaiting a text from Hercules for the last three hours. He knew that it didn't take this long to hack into a security camera, so he figured that the man was waiting for any action to actually happen on screen.

"At five in the morning?" Laurens groaned dramatically as he grabbed a half-finished pack of most-likely stale Cheetos in disgust. "You really need to get this place cleaned up," Laurens muttered, unimpressed as he stood behind Hamilton, staring down at the painting.

"I don't have time," Hamilton grunted, setting his phone down, careful to avoid the overfilled paint palette.

It was true. The place was a bomb site. Half eaten food and coffee cups scattered the surfaces. Paint was splayed everywhere and piles of dirty laundry were collecting on the couches and armchairs. A thin layer of dust sat on top of every stack of paper, every document, while the unclear paths around the apartment were worn down. Unfinished paintings and stolen artifacts decorated shelves and walls and at least one nest of ants had to be climbing the walls constantly. Most of the lights didn't work anymore either, and the window still refused to close. The entire place was simply a recipe for disaster.

The worst part was that the apartment had only been cleaned a month ago and already had turned into this state.

"It's five in the morning. You've got time now." Laurens countered, setting the Cheetos down on Ham's lap and wrapping his arms around his neck as he bent down. "You have the whole day."

Hamilton let out a small laugh, "You know I'm busy. Lafayette wants this done by tomorrow, not that it needs to look exactly the same. Besides, I have to be in a cleaning mood to clean this shit hole."

Laurens tilted his head slightly, "You are practically rich you know, no harm in hiring someone to clean it for you." He grinned, "You know I'd look great in a-"

"I'm going to stop you right there." Hamilton interrupted, turning and pressing a hand to Laurens' face as he shoved a handful of the stale chips into his own mouth with a grimace. "Why do I have these? Why did you give me these? I don't want these. Here." Hamilton stood up, turning from his desk and shoving the bag of Cheetos into Lauren's chest, almost tripping over a stack of papers as he went. "Do you think Herc will get back to us soon? I want to see T-Jeffs face and add it to the collection. You know, he is the longest lasting on my case so far."

Laurens shook his head, his eyes following Alexander as the criminal made his way into the kitchen. "Six months already? Damn, most people are sick of you by then." He snorted, dodging a ball of paper that hit the wall behind him, "Wait, is that what the sticky notes where about? Don't tell me that the fucking code on them is about celebrations or some shit. I did not spend 2 hours of my life helping in a vandalism crime for it to be about some petty six month anniversary."

Hamilton laughed hesitantly as he flicked on the kitchen light and ran his arm over the bench, knocking all the dishes to the floor with a loud clattering crash. "Okay, okay, so don't be mad," He began, a wild grin spreading across his face, "But hear me out. Every single one of those sticky notes says 'Happy 6 month anniversary' in a different code. But here is the thing. They all say it in a different way too! And one of them doesn't even say anything!" Hamilton laughed loudly, holding onto the bench with his hands and watching Laurens try to keep his stern face. It didn't last long before the two of them were in tears.

"No way. Wait. And because they-"Laurens couldn't finish his sentence and Hamilton nodded.

"Yes! Lafayette reminded me they have to go through every single one." Hamilton finished. Laurens let out a howl of laughter, wiping a stray tear from his freckled face.

"Ingenious! Surely you didn't come up with that one?" Laurens asked. "Urgh, I can't even be mad that I helped you do illegal shit. You are a bad influence on me, Hamilton." Laurens sighed, clutching his sides as he leaned back on the back of the couch.

Hamilton shook his head, his face dropping a bit. Being a bad influence on Laurens was one of the downsides of their relationship. Laurens always said it was fine, but Hamilton knew his lifestyle was questionable. He didn't try to hide it either. "Hey, you do illegal shit like every day. Remember, we watched like three seasons of Game of Thrones just last week. Technically that's piracy. Technically we are pirates." Hamilton tried. The attempt earned him a small smile and he felt a little lighter than before, but he wasn't done. "I will never make you do anything you are uncomfortable with Laurens. Never. And you are always free to go." Hamilton sighed, walking up to John and taking his hands.

"I don't want to go. I want you. I want us, Hamilton." Laurens smiled. "Just us."

Hamilton smiled, embracing the feeling of belonging. Wherever Laurens was, it felt like home. It was home. Hamilton didn't know what that meant for him, But Laurens was by far the best friend he had, and by some accounts, he was practically Hamilton's only non-work related friend. Sort of.

The two had met a few months before Jefferson had been assigned to Hamilton's case. Laurens wanted to buy some particular pricey art for his father. They hadn't meant to end up as friends. Hamilton hated having any connection with past buyers- especially ones that he completely conned. But Laurens had found the situation oddly amusing- possibly because it wasn't his money nor his problem. The piece had been for his father after all, and Hamilton often heard that their relationship was… trying.

Laurens had been persistent and smart. Set up deals with his friends until Hamilton had to come out of hiding. They had actually hit it off really well. Of course, Laurens continuously tried to get Alexander to put an end to his life of crime, but it wasn't that easy to give up and not just because of the money. Hamilton had made all his friends through this business. Which sounded ridiculous. Criminals weren't meant to have friends. Friends got targeted. Friends got used against you. But no, Hamilton was smart about it. After all, he hadn't been caught yet. And he doubted he would be anytime soon. There was just no way it was possible.

That didn't mean he didn't worry about the hypotheticals.

Laurens was his closest friend. His closest anything. It had taken forever for Alexander to allow himself to trust Laurens like he did today.

"Oh shit, I've got to go," Laurens exclaimed discarding the stale Cheetos and grabbing his coat of a pile of laundry as he noticed the clock on the wall behind Alex.

"What? Already?" Hamilton asked his brow creasing as he took a step back, looking behind him. Sure enough, it was already quarter past five.

"Yeah. Work, remember? And I've got to go grab some bagels. Those Cheetos suck shit." Laurens made a face, but there was a sadness behind his eyes. Hamilton didn't want Laurens to leave just yet, and by the looks of it, Laurens wasn't ready to go either. "You still up for Thursday?" Laurens continued as he made his way for the door.

"Yeah, If I'm not in jail I'll be there," Ham replied, earning himself a glare from Laurens. The subject of arrest was always touchy between them. Laurens would say it was a serious possibility. Hamilton always brushed it off with the '5 years of this shit' talk.

"Ha-ha. Very funny. What did I say about making those—" Laurens began, holding his coat close to him. Disappointment covered his face as Hamilton interrupted him.

"I know, sorry." Hamilton sighed, "I'll see you then." Laurens nodded, leaning forward and hesitating for a moment before stepping back and swinging open the door. "I'm sure those cars need your attention," Hamilton muttered dejectedly as he pulled a pack of cigarettes from his back pocket.

"Hey, I'll text you tonight, okay?" Laurens asked as he stepped through the door.

"You better." Hamilton grinned. "You know how I can get when I'm bored. And If Hercules doesn't uphold his end..." Hamilton teased, sticking the cigarette in his mouth and grabbing his lighter from the table behind him.

Laurens simply shook his head with a smile and a small wave. "Bye Hamilton."

"See ya Laurens."

With that, the door closed.

Hamilton stood for a moment, lost in the silence. It was always like this when Laurens wasn't around. The dull, aching silence. Hamilton always wondered if it had always been like this before he met Laurens, or if he had only realized how lonely he truly was when Laurens had forced his way into his life.

Alexander lowered his hand slightly, throwing the lighter back onto the table and letting out a slow breath as he looked around the apartment. He really did need to clean it up sometime. He tackled the room, arriving once more at his desk and deciding that he would ask Laurens to help him out on Thursday. Maybe then it would seem like he was actually getting his life together.

As Hamilton reached for his paint brush, his phone buzzed once more and Hamilton put his brush back quickly, rubbing his hands on his shirt and checking the text with a fresh rush of excitement

**Hercules (5:19):** _Check your computer._

Hamilton didn't even bother responding as he set down his phone, reaching for his computer which was perched nicely on top of a small stack of papers. He flicked it open with a wide grin and watched from miles away as Jefferson exited his house and saw his precious car covered in sticky notes. The large cardboard signature still perfectly in position, 'Your Hurricane' written in large block letters

Jefferson took out his phone in obvious frustration and Hamilton moved his computer back to his desk, watching the cop as he put out his cigarette and picked up his paint brush once more.

And as cars pulled up on the black and white screen, Hamilton knew that today was going to be another good day.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yikety yokes chp 2 is a go. I’ll be updating every Sunday from now!

The prank was a total hit and Hamilton couldn’t be more pleased. It had been over 24 hours and Hamilton hadn’t heard of a single sighting of Officer Jefferson since the previous morning. The perfect prank and the perfect distraction for their plans. He had been scheming something with Lafayette for months. Something big. Something extravagant. Something absolutely crazy. And Hamilton had been more than keen to take part.

It had all started when Charles Lee and Samuel Seabury had broken into the Museum of Modern Art and stolen quite literally the first piece of work they could get their hands on. It was a sloppy crime and Lee was caught in a matter of days. Luckily enough for him, Seabury had friends in high places and King had managed to bail him out, with what Hamilton could only imagine had taken a lot of persuasion.

And because of that, Lafayette had wanted to show them how to create a real crime. How to plan a real heist.

Sure. It was petty. But it was also the perfect plan. Nothing could go wrong within the heist. They wouldn’t even be in New York for the damn thing. No, they’d be all the way in Texas.

And that’s where the main problems lied.

Lafayette had called Hamilton earlier that morning. He hadn’t explained much, just said that they needed to talk about what they called the ‘Rothko project’. Hamilton preferred the name 'Rothko’s Rave’ but Lafayette had argued that it was a completely inaccurate representation of what was going on. To that, Hamilton had countered that Lafayette was a completely inaccurate representation of what was going on.

Lafayette hung up immediately.

So, now Hamilton was making his way through the streets of New York, a free man with a cigarette between his lips and a fake ID in his pocket. Today he was Mr. Richard Wad –of course, he would say his friends just call him Dick if anyone asked.

It was a fairly calming walk through such a busy city. Lafayette only lived a few blocks away, he owned a motel just around the corner from the police department. It wasn’t a very large motel, nor a very fancy one. The customers were mostly criminals and kids escaping their homes. It didn’t reel in much cash, in fact, Hamilton was almost certain that Lafayette spent more on that place than he got out of it. But it was a good hideout and a great place for movie nights.

“Texas? Fucking hell Gilbert! Do you know how long it takes to get there? And Hamilton doesn’t do planes,” Hercules exclaimed as Alexander opened the door to the motel’s basement. “In fact, none of us do planes- do you know what happens if we get caught in an airport?”

Mulligan was pacing, Hamilton was unsure how long he’d been doing that for, but by the not too strict back and forth, he could assume it was no more than four minutes. The man always paced when he was stressed- and it was clear that he was displeased with the situation at hand.

“He has a point.” Hamilton agreed as he closed the door. Lafayette looked up at his entry and Hercules gestured slightly towards him in both greeting and agreement. “But there is no way that I’m not going through with this. Do you know how much work I put into these damn paintings?” Hamilton asked as he walked towards the table, taking his cigarette from his lips and squashing it into the ashtray. He had not wasted months of time working on replicas for their entire scheme to go sideways.

Lafayette held up a hand, “If you would just let me explain?” He asked, giving a calm but pointed look to the pair of them. Hercules stopped his pacing with a disapproving grunt and Hamilton pulled himself up a chair, watching Lafayette calmly.

“Just hear me out,” Lafayette began, leaning back on his desk slightly. “Road trip.”

Silence hung in the air a Hercules and Alexander glanced at each other hesitantly. Hercules was already beginning to grin slightly at the thought. After all, it had been forever since they had done anything like that together. Hamilton could clearly remember the last road trip. Sure it hadn’t been as far. And the crime never actually took place- the three of them had been too distracted by a good time – and they hadn’t put as much thought into the actual crime. It hadn’t mattered back then.

“I’m listening.” Hercules hummed, looking back to Lafayette with clear investment in the idea. Lafayette was already grinning, they had known Hercules long enough to know when he was going to commit to something.

“You, me, Alex, Angelica, Seabury and Lee,” Lafayette began, ignoring the look of disgust that was rising on Alexander’s face, “We leave today in Mulligan’s van. Go straight to Texas. Do our stuff, and straight back and none are the wiser.” Lafayette concluded proudly.

“You want me to spend over 50 hours in a confined space with Seabury and Lee? Do you even hear yourself?” Hamilton asked somewhat angrily. He knew he didn’t have a choice unless he bailed. But he wasn’t one to bail on a crime of this scale.

“Just sleep the whole way then Hamilton. We need them.” Lafayette pointed out. Hercules nodded his agreement and Hamilton let out a long, loud groan. He hated it when Lafayette was right.

But, Lee and Seabury were utter idiots. The two had been caught no less than 4 times each. The only reason they weren’t in jail for life right now was because of King. Hamilton wished he had friends in high places like that, unfortunately enough for him- he was the friend in a high place. Besides, if it took bowing down to a man like King to get bail, he would rather be in prison his whole life. The man was ruthless, and not in a good way.

Unfortunately, the whole premise of the crime was to make a point in the first place, and if Seabury and Lee weren’t there to see it- the potential pettiness of the heist was wasted. And Alexander thrived on petty crimes.

“When do you expect us to be back?” Hamilton asked, still unhappy about the idea, but not finding the point in fighting. He was going to agree to the damn thing anyway, there was no way he could fool himself out of it.

“Late Thursday, possibly Friday.” Lafayette replied, “So does that mean you’re in?”

“I don’t like it. But if I get the front seat and three coffee stops, it’s a deal.” Hamilton agreed, watching Lafayette as he turned towards the desk and began to close the files behind him.

“One coffee stop, a pack of cigarettes and you have to fight with Angelica for shotgun.” Lafayette countered. Hercules stood up moving to the table as Hamilton mulled the deal over. A fight with Angelica wasn’t an easy one but he was almost certain he could bargain for the front at least one way.

“Fine.” Hamilton sighed, pulling out his phone. The heist was going to be amazing. The trip was going to be interesting. But he couldn’t feel his usual buzz of anxious excitement that a gig like this would bring. Instead, he felt guilt. Guilt that he couldn’t quite place. There was no way that he was guilty about thinking shit about idiots, nor about the coffee stops or money for the cigarettes- Lafayette was loaded after all. Something just felt, off.

As Hercules and Lafayette began to prepare a plan for what they would need to bring, Hamilton scrolled through his contacts with the intent of flicking Angelica a very casual text about the front seat. However, his thumb ended up hovering over John’s name.

**_Alexander Hamilton (13:01):_ ** _I’m going to be out of town for a couple of days. Work._

Hamilton slid his phone back into his pocket and stood up, walking over to the table and joining the others somewhat anxiously. He wasn’t sure why it all felt so off, and he knew he was missing something. He had to be.

“Alright guys, what do we need to get?” Hamilton asked, peering through them to the list that Lafayette was scribbling down. Hercules held up a hand as Lafayette glanced at him as he continued to write.

“Not much. We have most of it already and- "Lafayette began, a loud ring interrupting him mid-sentence a flash of concern rushed across Lafayette’s face and Hamilton felt the vibration in his pocket.

"Urgh, sorry,” Hamilton muttered, pulling his phone back out and pulled his phone back out with a frown, Laurens’ smiling face flashing on the screen to greet him. “Laurens. I should take this.” Hamilton apologized, chewing his lip as he accepted the call and headed to the corner of the room.

“Hey, aren’t you at work?” Hamilton whispered in confusion. It was odd for Laurens to call while he was working. The job of a mechanic was pretty hands on after all.

“Yeah. Kind of. It’s lunch break.” Laurens replied. Hamilton could hear the loud rings of machinery chanting in the background and he could almost picture Laurens, clad in overalls and oil smudged across his freckled nose. “I just, why didn’t you tell me you were going somewhere? You saw me yesterday! And I know, I know your work is… spontaneous.”

“That’s an understatement,” Hamilton interjected.

“But,” Laurens continued pointedly, “I just wanted to know if you’d be back for Thursday? You know I’ve taken that day off and I mean, it’s not a problem. It’s not really. Just, last week and now this week. I don’t know how much longer I can wait for this.” Laurens sighed.

Friday. They had agreed on Thursday. He had already postponed the outing a week and now he was, what, running off to Texas? The pin dropped in Hamilton’s mind and the reasons for his anxious guilt were made clear.

“Shit. John. I’m sorry I totally forgot. No, I didn’t forget I just- With this project and everything going on-” Hamilton ran a hand through his hair, his foot tapping on the ground impatiently.

“Everything going on? Alex, what is going on?” Laurens asked, “Never mind. I know you’ve got to work. And I know you’ve already agreed. And it’s fine. I can take up another shift. But you know who you need to make it up to. And it’s not me.”

Hamilton nodded in silence for a moment, “I’ll give Burr a call.” He agreed. “And John, really. I’m sorry. Have you got plans for Saturday?”

“No. Hamilton, I’m not going to agree to anything if you are just going to keep screwing me over like this. I can’t just drop everything for you all the time.” Laurens muttered.

“Laurens I-”

“Alex, my shifts over. I’ve got to go. Talk to Burr and text me when you are back in New York.” It was a statement not to be tampered with and all at once the line was dead. Hamilton stood for a moment in a blast of silence before sliding his phone back into his pocket, his head down.

It felt like it was always like this between them. It felt like it was always Hamilton messing up once more and Laurens having to forgive him over and over. No matter how bad of an influence Hamilton apparently was on the mechanic, Laurens was always full of love and forgiveness.

“You okay over there Hamilton?” Hercules spoke up first. Hamilton turned around to see his two friends leaning over the table and looking at him, each one with an equal amount of concern. Alexander forced himself to nod, but his heart felt heavy and his mind clouded as he reached into his pocket for something to ease his thoughts.

“Yeah, yeah. It’s nothing.” Hamilton muttered, fumbling with the lighter. “I just have some… work. Things to do. Are you guys coming to mine to load up the paintings?” Hamilton asked, finally getting the flame to light his cigarette.

“We’ll be there at five.” Lafayette nodded, “And we won’t be waiting up.”

“I wouldn’t expect any less.” Hamilton laughed, forcing a smile as he slid out of the room. As soon as he was hit with the rush of cool air, however, his face dropped.

Now he had to apologize. Go be the disappointment yet again. He dreaded it. As he began to turn down the street, he took out his phone once more, (dreading) the call he was about to make.

“Come on… pick up, pick up.” Hamilton groaned as the phone rang out on the other end of the line. He tapped the ash from his cigarette as he walked, his shoulders brushing past other passers-by.

“Aaron Burr speaking.” Hamilton sighed in relief, coming to a stop at a set of lights and ignoring the jaywalkers and waiting for the lights to change.

“Hey Burr, it’s Alex,” Hamilton said, briskly crossing the road.

“Alexander! Is everything alright?” Burr asked. Hamilton shrugged slightly as he stepped up onto the pavement, flicking his cigarette to the floor as a flash of red and blue lights caught his eye from across the street. Sirens blazed and Hamilton could almost feel himself freezing up.

“Urgh… no. Are you good with friendship advice? Never mind, I don’t have time for this. I can’t make it on Thursday.” Hamilton stated, trying to keep his voice calm and even.

“What? Again! Hamilton, you’re going to break this kid’s heart.” Burr retorted bluntly. “You better have an amazing excuse.”

“Work,” Hamilton replied airily, slipping into the crowd as he kept an eye on the police car.

“Work. That’s not much of an excuse.” The car turned the corner and Ham took pursuit as the sirens came to a stop.

“I know and that’s why- I’ve got to go. I’m sorry.” Hamilton ended the conversation with a quick click as he followed the path of the car, slipping his phone away and lifting the hood of his jacket over his head. The car was parked with one other in front of a small corner store and Hamilton watched as a familiar head of hair began to emerge from the driver’s side.

If anyone were to ask Hamilton how he felt in that moment, he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to explain it. The feeling of being so close to your rival and in so much immediate danger- and yet so safe and hidden amongst the masses was simply incomprehensible. The busy swirl of people down around the scene of the apparent crime were being forced to disperse, and they made their way to take Hamilton as one of their own, phones high in the air for any chance of spreading the untold story that was currently taking place.

Hamilton couldn’t see past the heads of the crowd, and it was near impossible to catch even a glimpse of Officer Jefferson anymore– and yet he couldn’t bring himself to simply step away. Just one last glimpse. Just one last look.

The mass didn’t disperse, and Hamilton fought through them- the crime scene was technically on the way to his apartment, and Alexander convinced himself that was the only reason he was pursuing this route.

Soon enough he had found a small pocket amongst a wall, and he watch from a distance, covered by the swarm as the light of the cars came to a halt. Hamilton was no longer sure how long he’d been standing there, watching, but eventually, Jefferson emerged with a woman in cuffs. He stood by the door of the corner store, his partner at his side. The buzz from the crowd was coming to a halt, and yet Hamilton continued to watch – almost willing eye contact to be made.

But nothing more came, and as Jefferson made his way back into the driver’s seat, Hamilton continued back to his apartment- unsure of what he had been looking for and afraid that he would never know.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I started school again, but I have a few chapters written in advance, luckily.

They arrived late. An hour late. All of them were already in the car and when Hamilton headed for the front seat, Angelica had simply woven him off with a very aptly chosen finger. Begrudgingly, Alexander hopped into the back and, glad to find that Hercules had a spot in the van free beside him, Hamilton promptly sat down and rested his head on the larger man.

"I thought you would be driving." Hamilton stated, as he stretched out across Hercules. He wasn't mad about the fact that Hercules wasn't driving, of course. The man was like a gigantic teddy bear and even though he was encouraging as shit when it came to starting fights, he was also a great physical barrier and an amazing pillow.

"Lafayette and I are taking turns," Hercules explained as he lifted an arm, allowing Hamilton to get himself into a little more of a comfortable position. "Someone has to keep an eye on you." He joked, tousling Hamilton's hair as the criminal closed his eyes.

"I won't start anything if they don't." It was true of course. Any argument or disagreement that Hamilton had ever had, he had never started. Or maybe he had, but not on purpose. It was always someone else being an idiot and Alexander just put them back into their place.

"Of course not," Hercules muttered lightly.

The car was already well on its way to Texas. The paintings were secured safely in boxes in the back, and a layout of the Rothko Chapel was currently being examined by both Lee and Seabury, their quiet chatter falling into rhythm with the hum of the engine and the grating of the wheels on loose gravel. Hercules was staring out the window, and Hamilton had yet to move from the position he had arrived in, but now he was wearing Hercules' beanie and playing 'chair flip' on his phone.

It was a dumb game, but it was damn addictive. And anything was better than playing 'bullshit' with Lee and Seabury like the two had been begging for the past two hours. For criminals, the two were notoriously awful at card games. Lafayette promised to play when they switched seats and Hamilton knew that if he couldn't convince Angelica to swap their own seats in that time, he'd be forced into the god awful hell that was cards.

**_Alexander Hamilton (24:04):_ ** _Hey Angelica, so about that shotgun…_

Hamilton sent the text off after reading through it about five times. Persuading Angelica to do anything that she set her mind on was near impossible, but he couldn't think of any other way to bring up the subject without totally pissing her off.

**_Angelica Schuyler (24:04):_ ** _Nope._

Hamilton frowned, knowing there was little to no hope already. But he hadn't even really talked to Lee or Seabury yet and he was already being driven insane.

**_Alexander Hamilton (24:05):_ ** _What? Why! D: Angelica, please? I can't stand it back here with them._

**_Angelica Schuyler (24:05):_ ** _Already promised it to Laf. Take it on the way back._

Hamilton sighed, grumbling slightly as he took a cigarette from the new pack that Lafayette had ditched at him when he'd arrived. The way back was better than no way at all, but it also meant he had to survive the trip there. Hamilton took the lighter from his pocket, going to flick on the flame.

A loud shout made Hamilton freeze, and the spark flicked out as Alexander's mind jumped between worst case scenarios. Had something happened? Was someone hurt?

"You can't smoke in here!" Charles was standing up in horror, his hand gripping the van's seat as he snatched the lighter from between Alexander's fingers.

"This is ridiculous Lee, give it back," Alexander exclaimed, anger rushing into the forefront of his mind. He couldn't get to the front and now he had to put up with Lee's dumb excuses so he couldn't even smoke. And Lee stole his lighter. His lighter. Laurens gave him that lighter and there was no way he was letting it stay in Lee's possession. He needed it.

Every second that passed on this road trip was seeming to make the whole thing worse and Hamilton made a mental note to never agree to something like this again.

"No. Seabury has asthma, remember?" Lee shook his head and slipped the lighter into his pocket. Hamilton groaned, nudging Hercules and sending the man a glance as if asking for his help in the matter. Mulligan just shrugged and Alexander looked back to Lee in frustration.

"No? Why would I remember something like that?" Hamilton asked, taking the unlit cigarette from his lips and sliding it back into the packet.

"He could literally die. How would you feel if you killed Seabury, Hamilton?" Lee challenged, holding his ground. Hamilton couldn't help but let out a snort of laughter.

"I think you're over exaggerating. Seabury isn't going to die because I had a smoke. That's just bullshit. Can I have my lighter back now?" Hamilton asked grumpily, holding out a hand.

"No." Lee sat down firmly and Hamilton tilted his head back, looking at the ceiling and standing up slowly, his hands curled into fists.

"Why not? This is ridiculous! I need that lighter back. I need it." Hamilton pressed, his teeth gritted as he closed his eyes, seething.

"And I don't trust you with it." Lee countered, not even bothering to look at Hamilton anymore. Seabury glanced between them, opening his mouth to speak up, but Hamilton got there first and the man snapped his mouth shut, sinking back into his seat.

"That doesn't mean you can just steal shit from me!" Hamilton protested loudly.

"I'm sorry, what was that? Mr. I'm about to partake in a heist." Lee threw back. "I'll give it back when we've come to a stop. Then you can go ahead and ruin your own fucking lungs."

"Fuck you, Lee. And you too Seabury." Hamilton groaned, flipping them off. Mulligan grabbed his arm and pulled him back to sit down.

"That's what I thought," Lee replied smugly, sending a smirk back towards the pair.

Hamilton could feel his insides squirm and he curled back into Hercules, upset and unimpressed. He needed that lighter back, but causing an upset on a trip like this was strictly not allowed. It was too easy for betrayal to occur, and Hamilton did not trust Lee or Seabury as far as he could throw them.

"Thanks a lot, Mulligan," Hamilton grumbled, not really mad at the man, but not exactly happy about the lack of backup he had received either.

 "Sometimes you need to pick your battles, Hamilton," Hercules muttered soothingly, running a hand through Hamilton's hair in an attempt to soothe his thoughts.

"Urgh, you sound just like Laurens," Hamilton said, allowing himself to relax into Mulligan's touch.

"Laurens? Who's that?" Seabury piped up, genuine curiosity in his voice, but Hamilton was done.

"None of your fucking business Seabury." Closing his eyes, Alexander tried to focus on anything that wasn't in this van, right here, right now. This whole road trip was bullshit and he wanted out as soon as possible.

"If this Laurens person is going to affect how well this heist goes, then we deserve to know, Hurricane." Lee continued mockingly. Hamilton's eyes shot up and Hercules let go of the smaller man immediately.

"Lafayette! Permission to knock these idiots unconscious?" Hamilton shouted, already standing up and raring to go, there was no way that he was going to take this shit any longer.

"Permission denied! You can't just-" the sound of skin on skin interrupted Lafayette's response and Hamilton felt himself falling back onto the floor of the van, his face throbbing and blood pouring from his nose as he drifted into a world of darkness.

 

Hamilton drifted in and out of consciousness over the rest of the ride. His head was throbbing and his nose tingled with pain. He didn't recall coming to a stop and he definitely didn't recall Hercules' lap being replaced with Angelica's.

Slowly, Hamilton opened his eyes, the agony of his face registering somewhat as he went to run a hand through his hair, finding Mulligan's beanie still in place. His eyes met with Angelica's and he opened his mouth to ask a question, but all that came out was a low, disappointing groan.

"Thank God. Are you actually going to stay conscious this time?" Angelica asked, her voice calm. Hamilton tried to sit up but Angelica pushed a hand onto his shoulder, keeping him in place.

"I'll take that as a yes. We're like, ten minutes away. You were out for the count! Have you been sleeping enough? It's like your body just decided to take what it could get while it could." She joked, trying to keep her tone light-hearted.

"What happened?" Hamilton asked his voice slurred and his mind foggy and disorientated. "And can you be like… shhh?" He added, raising a finger to his lips.

"Some idiot decided to break your nose. And don't worry. Laf taped it up. It'll look good as new in no time." Angelica smiled encouragingly. Hamilton knew it was probably a lot worse than she was making it out to be, but at this point, he really didn't care.

"That makes sense," Hamilton mumbled as he let his eyes droop closed again, the cloud of exhaustion not seeming to want to clear from his mind.

"Hey now, no sleeping. You have slept enough." Angelica huffed touching his nose lightly and making Alexander wince and squirm. The ache came back immediately and he did not find it pleasurable at all.

"Ow. Rude. This is all rude," Hamilton huffed in annoyance, "Can I at least sit up?" He asked, "Lying down encourages sleep." He tried. It wasn't exactly true, but the position he was lying in was really uncomfortable and his neck wasn't feeling too great about it either.

"No. But here, you can beat my high score on that dumb chair flip game. Why do you even have that game?" she asked, passing Alexander his phone. He looked at the high score in annoyance.

"I don't know." He muttered, beginning to invest himself on the screen. "It's dumb. Have you heard from Eliza or Peggy yet?" he asked, his concentration clearly elsewhere as he tried to focus on the dumb app, but not wanting to leave Angelica hanging.

"Yeah. They've been sending me selfies with the piano they stole. Made sure to leave your signature, though. Apparently, Eliza insisted that it'd keep all of our alibis a little safer if the police thought you were still in New York. Probably a smart move." Angelica hummed, taking out her own phone and flashing him the photo of the two smiling girls.

"She is a smart girl." Hamilton agreed. "I wish they could have come."

"No. You just wish Seabury and Lee got kicked out." Angelica laughed. "Oh yeah, that reminds me- Oi! Herc, Laf. The dork is awake and speaking!" she called over to the front. Hamilton winced, closing his eyes tightly.

"Warning would be nice." He huffed, but Angelica simply flicked his ear, making him close his mouth in a tight grimace of frustration.

"And we are in position! Good timing." Hercules called back, pulling the van into a parking space and climbing into the back, Lafayette in pursuit.

"Hamilton, you okay to walk?" Hercules asked with a flash of concern. "You hit the ground pretty hard in a moving vehicle." He added, sending a pointed look to Seabury and Lee. Hamilton realized that nobody had told him who had actually knocked him out yet. He figured it was probably for the better.

"Yes." Hamilton nodded, regretting the decision of movement but trying to sit up anyway- he was not going to be shoved to the corner on this damn heist. Angelica simply pushed him down again however and he sent her a glare.

"No," Angelica stated, matching his glare until Hamilton looked away.

"What? No, I'm fine. I'm good." Alexander muttered angrily. "I did not come all this way to get knocked out and unable to participate."

Hercules looked at Lafayette, Angelica staring both of them down. It didn't take long for Lafayette to cave with a shrug, no one wanted to argue with Hamilton, but no one ever argued with Angelica and got away unscathed.

"Fine. Hamilton, you stay here with Mulligan while the rest of us go visit the chapel. The heist won't be until it gets dark- it'll be enough time for you to get back to Earth." Lafayette bargained. Angelica nodded in agreement and Hamilton closed his eyes with a sigh and a small nod that his head was already regretting.

"Good. Lee, Seabury. How are the code names coming along?" Lafayette asked. Hamilton went to make a complaint about how they got the choice of code names but bit his lip- not wanting to start any more fights. It was too risky.

"Just swell." Seabury nodded, sitting up and facing the group. "Okay so Lafayette- head of this mission. Arthur. Like. King Arthur. From the Knights of the Round Table. Like the-"

"Yes. We get it continue." Hamilton interrupted impatiently.

Seabury fell silent with a small nod and Lee took over, "We decided to use that as a base for the names. So, Angelica, you are Morgana."

"I can live with that." Angelica nodded her agreement.

"Hercules. You are Gawain." Seabury piped up, pointing at Hercules who simply shrugged.

"I'm Mordred." Lee continued.

"I'm Lancelot," Seabury added.

"Oh yeah because of how attractive you are." Hamilton snorted, earning him another glare from Angelica which he shrugged off.

"You think I'm attractive?" Seabury asked, his brow furrowed in confusion. Hamilton simply rolled his eyes, did Seabury just not understand sarcasm?

"Read between the lines. Alright, what's mine? Which wonderful code-honoring knight have you bestowed upon me?" he huffed, unamused.

"Well, we wanted to call you Cyclone- to keep in touch with your dumb natural disaster theme or whatever. But we knew that you'd get pissed, so we had to stick with Merlin." Lee stated, his voice flat.

"The wizard? That's so lame." Hamilton argued. "He wasted his whole life on Arthur! No offense, Laf."

"None taken."

"Told you Lee. He wouldn't be happy no matter what." Seabury argued.

"To be fair, you broke the guy's nose," Lafayette muttered, shaking his head. "We don't have time for this. Okay, get your coms on and remember the plan. Hamilton, Hercules, get the computers up and do your thing. The place closes in an hour and we want to see and plant as much as we can before we start. Okay?"

The group nodded and began to disperse into position. Hamilton sat up slowly so Angelica could escape- but he understood why he had been lying down when he did. The rush to his head was insane and he held onto the chair tightly as he tried to blink away the dizzy swirls.

"Oh, and Alexander? Here." Lafayette held out a water bottle and a small container. "For the pain. Should make you good to go by the time we head in for the 'Rothko Rave'." Lafayette smiled. Hamilton smiled back at him, accepting the medication with relief.

It didn't take long for everyone to leave the van, each in intervals as to not look too suspicious. Hamilton stayed with Hercules, yet to put his com in place- he didn't think having so many people talking would make for a good time at the moment and Hercules didn't seem too fussed about the lack of help he was receiving.

"Hey, man. Now that Seabury is gone and stuff," Hercules muttered, fiddling with his own packet of cigarettes and offering one to Alexander with a smile, "Want a smoke?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Hamilton sighed with a nod and took one of the cigarettes, fiddling in his pocket, unable to find his lighter.

"Shit. Herc, did you manage to get my lighter back from Lee?" he asked, biting his lip.

"Oh fuck, no not yet. It kind of slipped our minds. You know, with you being unconscious and all. I'll intimidate him into giving it back when this heist is done, okay? And hey, Angelica said you get the front the whole way back. Don't even have to look at those dicks anymore." Hercules smiled, offering Hamilton his own lighter to use. Alexander mumbled his agreement dejectedly.

"Yeah. Alright. Thanks, Gawain." Hamilton grinned. "You know, I always saw you as more of a Percival."

"Percival? No way. I'm fucking Guinevere!" Hercules countered with a laugh. Hamilton joined in softly before frowning slightly.

"Do you know much about Rothko?" Hamilton asked, blowing a steady stream of smoke as he grabbed a bottle of water.

"Not really. I know he was a painter, obviously." Hercules replied, "Has he got an interesting life?" He asked, glancing at Hamilton for a moment before turning his attention back to the screens as Lafayette made his way with Angelica through the rooms.

"The guy was mad depressed. Committed suicide at 66 or something. His paintings were like, all based on color. As he got older, the paintings became gradually more dark- black and grays all showing death." Hamilton explained around the cigarette, "No one stopped him, though. He just... died on his kitchen floor."

"Shit, Hamilton that's depressing as fuck," Hercules exclaimed, looking at Alexander in concern.

"I know right. Do you think we will get there? Get to our black and grays?" Hamilton asked, frowning.

"I don't know how many of those meds you took, but I think it was too much. I guess we all will or do at some point, though," Hercules hesitated, "And if I know you like I think I do, Alexander. I'd say you haven't really seen much else but gray so far."

Hamilton paused for a moment. Did he only see the gray? He didn't think so. He didn't want to think so.

"You know, that's where I think you're wrong Hercules. I don't know what color my life is, but I don't think it's gray. There is more to it than that. There has to be."

Hercules scanned over him for a moment, as if trying to see something that Hamilton himself would only miss.

"Yeah, I wonder if Rothko thought that too."


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now the drama REALLY starts

It took another hour until Lafayette and Angelica returned, and an hour after that before they could actually get to work. Lee and Seabury were staying on the campus with Hercules' help – avoiding the gaze of the guard as they rolled behind walls and kept out of sight. Hercules had soon enough memorized the patterns the guard was taking and the van was on the move once again- heading just that little bit closer to the chapel to make an easy getaway.

As usual, Hercules stayed in the van. Hamilton had to convince Lafayette quite heavily that he was okay to go in and do his job- the Frenchman wanting to have swapped him and Hercules' positions for the night. Luckily enough for Alexander, Hercules was having none of that bullshit either.

Carefully, Angelica and Alexander unloaded the first box of forged paintings, sneaking over and placing them around the back of the chapel as Lee and Seabury joined them.

The chapel itself didn't seem like much. A large, red, cube-like, brick building was the main event, but around the front there was a pond with a large feature in the middle- too heavy to be moved, even if they had wanted to take it. The thing about Rothko's chapel that made it truly special for a place of crime, however, was the sheer lack of entrances. The single-room building had a glass ceiling and a heavily locked front door. Everything else was simply brick upon brick—which, if tampered with, risked damage to the priceless paintings inside.

"What's first?" Hamilton asked, coming up besides the building with the final box. "Laf? What did you say we had to do to get in?"

"Oh, so we aren't even going to bother with the code names now?" Seabury complained, folding his arms stubbornly. "Do you know how long it took us to come up with them? Forever! We kept arguing between damn knights and different fruits and now we aren't-"

"Seabury." Lafayette interrupted in a low, harsh whisper, "Now is not the time. Besides, I can't even remember half those code names anymore." He added, shaking his head before turning back to Hamilton. "Okay, so we can't get in through the front, not yet."

"No. There is still one guard hanging around over there." Mulligan's voice chimed in over the buzzing com. Hamilton stiffened, guard? They hadn’t exactly been prepared for a guard and getting caught so early on wasn't going to help anyone. This was going to make things mildly difficult.

"So that's plan A out of the window?" Hamilton muttered in dismay, trying to keep his voice low. "Can we take the guard out? Now? Herc said they hang around the door for the most part- the only other way in is through the top, and I don't think that's going to be safe for the cargo. Also did anyone else know about a guard? When was there ever a guard here?"

"Absolutely." Lafayette agreed, "That's why you and Lee are going to go take him out while Angelica and I set up our entry. Even if we did get in through the front, there are a million locks. Going in through the top is going to be our easiest bet at this point, not to mention it will confuse the police sent to investigate." Hamilton simply nodded, he knew they had brought the equipment just in case. He also knew that Lafayette had been wanting to do a through-the-roof entry since they had decided to break into this place. It didn’t slip past Alexander that his question about the guard was completely ignored.

"Wait, what am I doing?" Seabury asked, "If Merlin and Mordred are taking out the guard and-"

"Hamilton and Lee. And you need to keep watch. Don't fret, plan B is pretty much the same as plan A. We just need to get the 'ladder' in place." Lafayette hummed. Seabury blinked, stepping back, seemingly pleased with the response.

"Guys, when you're ready." Hercules muttered. Hamilton shot a look at Lee and nodded to the other side of the building. Lee, seeming to understand, began his journey around and Hamilton took the opposite direction. It took but a moment for them to reach the front, the guard seemingly distracted by something on her phone.

Hamilton took some time to look the guard up and down. She was relatively tall and very stocky. Muscles were well built around her arms and Hamilton knew immediately that he would have zero luck with one on one combat. Ducking back behind the building, Alexander began to speak into his com.

"Lee, we need to create a diversion, there is no way we can take her down," Hamilton whispered, his breath tight as he leaned against the wall. He didn't want any messy business with knocking her out, and he had never been a fan of violent tactics.

"Hamilton, you can't be serious. Two of us against one of her?" Lee seemed to be raising an eyebrow and Hamilton couldn't help but scowl, "I'm going in."

"Fine," Hamilton snapped, taking a step around the corner carefully, looking out for Lee's face in the dark. The lights on the outside of the building didn't proved much practical use unfortunately. Hamilton struggled to keep track of the guards figure, let alone Lee's. "Lee where the fuck are you? You closing in?" Hamilton asked, squinting.

"Lee, get on the ground, now, come up with an excuse, and throw off your com. You're about to be caught." Hercules ordered, his voice rising with each word. Hamilton spotted the woman as she flicked on her flashlight, striding strongly to the other side of the building.

"Lee, what the fuck?" Hamilton swore as he jumped back behind the safety of the wall, grazing his elbow on the bricks with a wince. This wasn't going to go down as smoothly as he had originally hoped.

Hamilton glanced around the corner, looking for anything he could use to get Lee out of the situation. There wasn't much around, rocks and tree branches where about the best he could do without going back to the group- and by then it'd possibly be too late.

"Shit, are you okay?" Hamilton heard her ask. She had a strong, think Texan accent. She bent down to Lee's level in the dirt and offered him a hand. Hamilton watched as Lee rejected the offer, before going back to searching, hoping that maybe something of use would come along.

Hamilton could hear the whispers of their mostly-one-sided conversation, finally finding a stick light and strong enough to get the job done.

"Guys, I'm going to take her out. Temporarily." Hamilton muttered, dragging the stick over to slowly over to the duo, trying not to make a sound. It was hard on the cement pavement. He slid off his shoes, gliding carefully along the ground until he stood only a meter behind the woman.

He could see Lee's face clearly from here. Tears streaked down his features and pure fear was in his eyes. If Hamilton hadn't known any better, he would have guessed the guy was actually about to break down. No matter how much Alexander despised the man, Lee was a good actor, even if he was a terrible criminal.

"My name is Abigail." She whispered, setting her torch to the floor, "What's yours?" Hamilton stood for a moment, waiting for the right time to strike and watching Lee carefully. If something was up, there would have to be a signal right.

Lee continued to stammer and shake and Ham lifted the branch quickly, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath in before beginning to take the branch down with a loud thwack.

Abagail fell to the floor with a heavy thud and Alexander stood over her with the large branch, breathing heavily. Lee continued to lie on the ground for a moment, closing his eyes and trying to recover his mind frame. Hamilton lowered the branch slowly, watching as the man wiped the tears from his face.

"What was that?" Lee grunted, taking deep breaths as he sat up slowly

"You said we needed a distraction. You made one. I didn't know you would cry though. I wish I had my phone on me now." Hamilton grinned teasingly. Lee flipped him off, pushing himself onto his knees and grabbing his discarded com.

"She had a gun! She could have shot me." Lee growled accepting the offer of a hand that Alexander hade made him.

"And she didn't, did she?" Hamilton asked as Lee fixed his com back in place. Lee shook his head dejectedly. "Then where is the harm? Come on, let's get her somewhere safe."

Frustrated, but unable to argue, Lee helped Hamilton pick up the guard, carrying her back to the group. She wasn't the lightest person Hamilton had ever had to carry, but she was probably one of the nicer guards that he had come face to face with.

"She saw my face." Lee stated, turning to Lafayette's confused gaze as they set Abagail down around the back of the building, "If she manages to get back to cops about this one, our alibis in New York will be useless."

"Our alibis or your alibi?" Seabury replied with a small, playful smirk. Lafayette shook his head with a loud groan. Well, as loud of a groan as he would allow himself to make.

"Weren't you pretending to be innocent or some shit?" Lafayette asked, folding his arms.

"Yeah, and it would have worked if Hamilton hadn't come around and whacked her in the head with a stick, you know what she thinks now? She'll think I'm in on this. Which I totally am, but she doesn't need to know that." Lee huffed, folding his arms unhappily.

Lafayette glanced at Angelica as she turned around from her connection of ropes and clips.

"I've got an idea." Hamilton hummed, as Angelica putting down the odd rig carefully. "It might take a bit of work, but it'll clear you from suspicion." He stated, his hands placed on his hips. "You'll just have to trust us on this one." Hamilton added, looking between the rest of the gang.

Lee didn't look very happy about it, but he knew he didn't have much of a choice. It was often like that for Lee, Hamilton was beginning to notice. Not that he felt sorry for the guy- he was an idiot- but he did seem to have bad luck when it came to things like this.

"Hamilton, have you taken her gear?" Lafayette asked, sending Alexander a pointed look as he turned back to Angelica to help her with the rig.

Instead of responding, Hamilton simply turned around and knelt by the woman, beginning to unclip various items from her person. Her flashlight was still back around the front of the chapel. However, it didn't take long for Hamilton to collect a neat pile of belongings. Her wallet, radio, phone and keys were quickly placed in a neat stack by the chapel. Seabury took the gun after a quick vote on who should keep watch. None of them were sure if Samuel had ever used a gun, nor if he had any idea how a gun worked. But, it was mostly for intimidation purposes anyway.

"I got some keys," Alexander exclaimed, turning to Lafayette and Angelica. "Do you want me to go try them out on the locks?"

"No. Well, yes. But not right now." Angelica replied. "Come over here." Hamilton set down the keys, hesitating as he watched Angelica before beginning to walk towards her, inspecting the equipment sprayed around.

"What's all this?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at the various ropes and hooks.

"How we are going to get you in." She stated, looking to the building.

"Surely this is a bit extreme?" Hamilton countered with a hum.

"Maybe, but it'll do the job." she replied, holding up a harness, "Place your arms through here." she ordered. Hamilton did as he was told as she fussed with the clips at the front. "Okay, but real talk," Angelica began. Hamilton bit his lip, "What's your plan for Lee?"

Hamilton couldn't help but feel a little relieved, he supposed if the actual robbery was about to go down, it'd probably be best to get that sorted early on, just in case anything else in the plan went astray. "Knock him out. Or tie him up. Make it look like he was a victim, not the perpetrator."

"Easy enough. I'll have Laf sort it out once you're inside" Angelica agreed as she clicked a karabiner onto the back of his harness. "Hold onto the rope." She ordered, grabbing his hands and placing them above his head. Hamilton obliged. "Alright, Laf, give this thing a whirl!" she called behind her. Slowly the harness began to lift and Ham felt himself lift a few feet from the ground.

The sensation was unreal. Alexander's stomach dropped and tingles took over his entire being as he hung mid-air. He reached his feet out, trying to touch solid ground, however, nothing came of it - and with Angelica's instructions, he slowly let his arms drop this side.

"Are you in any pain?" Angelica asked as she reached up and pushed him slightly, making him swing from side to side.

"No." he stammered, "Just a lot of fear. Can I get down?" He asked, swallowing thickly as he closed his fists. Angelica waved to Lafayette and slowly he found his feet back on solid ground.

"Look, you're the smallest of all of us, and by far the lightest. Are you going to be okay to get in through the top?" Angelica pressed, her voice filled with genuine concern. Hamilton nodded briskly.

"I wouldn't have agreed to this if I didn't think I could. Just, don't leave me hanging." He replied. Angelica smiled, patting him on the back.

"Deal. Okay, we are going to give you a jumping boost to the top of the building. I'll follow, don't worry. We will re-thread it up there. We don't have long, though. By the time you reach the floor, the main padlock should be off and you can open the doors. Got it?" Angelica ran through the plan and Hamilton nodded again, finding it was the only thing he could really do.

"Got it." He agreed. Angelica began to move towards the building, looking at Lafayette.

"It's pretty high up. And you're, well, pretty short. Laf will give you some help." Angelica explained as she set down her arms, ready to boost him up. "Take a run at it."

Hamilton nodded, looking between Angelia and Laf and Hercules muttered encouragement into the com. After a moment of rolling his shoulders and preparing for the jump, Hamilton began to run forward. His feet carried him quickly and his eyes stayed on target. It took only a moment for him to reach Angelica. His shoe-less foot landed on her hand and he felt himself jump up, up, up.

Assisted by the harness on his back, he flew through the air until his hands roughly collided with the edge of the brick building. His body slammed into the side and he groaned as he hung on, slowly, painfully, pulling himself to the top. He lied down on the brick ceiling, seeing the small glass dome ahead of him. It would take nothing to break, but the idea of shards against the rope was worrying.

"Hamilton, you okay?" Lafayette's voice came through the com, static humming in the background.

"All good up here Laf." Hamilton replied, his breathing labored as he sat up.

"Alright! I'm going to throw up some supplies. The buildings going to be too high for me to scale. Just, put them down near the edge and near the drop. They'll keep the rope from fraying and keep your descent as smooth as possible." Angelica called. Hamilton didn't respond as the small silver items clattered to the top. Instead, he picked them up and did as told, threading the rope through each one. The thought of Angelica not joining him wasn't a nice one, but he didn't have much of a choice. He was halfway there already.

"Alright, when you're ready break the window." Angelica ordered. Hamilton looked back over the edge and closed his eyes before smashing his elbow into the glass, shard shattering to the floor. The glass wasn't as strong as it probably should have been, but the noise was loud and echoed around the rooftop. Hamilton froze for a moment, brushing off his sleeve.

"A bit loud, but no issues on this end." Hercules stated. Hamilton could imagine him in the van now, his eyes flickering from screen to screen as he tries to keep an eye on everyone at once. Hamilton did not envy that man.

"I'm going in." Hamilton stated after a minute. Slowly, he slid to the edge of the dome-shaped window- sliding through the singular pane of glass that he had smashed. He could feel the rope on his back tighten as he was slowly lowered into the chapel.

Hamilton didn't think he would ever get over the feeling of slowly being lowered into a pitch-black room. The light of the stars didn't reach the inside of the building and Hamilton fumbled for the flash light in his pocket, feeling it slip from his fingers and clatter to the ground with an echoing clink that seemed to vibrate off of the walls. The darkness engulfed him and the only comfort was the tight pull of the rope at his back- but soon enough, even that was no comfort at all.

"Shit. Guys she is waking up." Hercules' voice came over the com.

"What? Already? But Hamilton is still-" Lafayette began. Hamilton could already begin himself to freeze up.

"No time. Secure the rope and get Lee before this plan falls to shit." Hercules interrupted.

"Secure the rope? What do you-" the static of the line cut dead, "mean."

No. The feeling of hanging in a pitch-black room wasn't a feeling Hamilton would ever forget. His com was dead, whether by choice or by accident- he wasn't sure. He couldn't hear the outside world anymore and the silence grated at his ears and soul. Without his light, he had no idea how far he was from the ground anymore, and every time he looked up- something seemed to be blocking the small glimmers of light that would usually sparkle above the chapel.

Hamilton could feel his heart beat, rising and falling with each new thought. There was no way for Alexander to tell how much time had passed, and what felt like seconds could have been minutes or hours combined. The tingling in his body didn't seem to disappear and he felt himself fidgeting with his clothes, muttering into the dead com for someone to come back.

What if he stayed like this? What if they had gone? If Hamilton thought hard enough, he could almost hear the sound of the van beginning to steer itself away, leaving him in the dark, dark chapel. What if it were true? What if Abigail was a ploy for his capture?

He would be forever the hanging man in a chapel - as dead as the people would allow.

Alexander wouldn't let that happen.

After a moment more of talking into his com with little success he closed his eyes, taking a deep breath and reaching up behind him. Even if he did drop, he'd be stuck in - but he could escape the next morning more so than if he hung here and waited until opening hours, still stuck in the air. Carefully, he found the karabiner, untwisting it with unsteady hands. He didn't stop until he could click it open.

He opened his eyes, swallowing thickly as tears began to blur the shades of black together. He couldn't see the bright colors he wanted to, he couldn't see anything but the dark greys and deep blacks, and every moment he hung, karabiner open, arms holding onto the rope, ready to drop from the harness's hold, he hoped more and more for the doors to open- for the com to reawaken and guide him back to safety.

But waiting for a miracle wasn't an option. He held tightly onto the rope and with an agonizing groan of effort, he lifted himself off of and out of the karabiner. He continued to hang mid-air. His hands, sweaty with fear, losing grip on the life line that he had disconnected himself from.

He wasn't sure how high up he was, but he didn't want to be up anymore. He let his hands fall open and he fell to the floor with a thud and groan, his shoulder seizing with pain and his side pricked with glass. He curled up, sticking out a hand and searching for the flashlight. Shards of glass clung to his fingers and he finally took hold of the round flashlight, clicking it on and spreading light around the room as his com hummed itself into convenient life.


	5. Chapter 5

Dust swirled in the yellow of the flashlight, and paintings of deep purple and dark grays were illuminated by its light. Four wooden benches sat in a square and the silver plaster of the inside of the chapel seemed to be reminiscent of that of decaying prison walls. The flashlight flickered, flickered, failed. He swam in the darkness- simultaneously weightless and as heavy as stone. Fears and memories flitted around him, and thoughts of the moment vanished into the howling whistle of wind through broken windows

Hamilton really didn't feel like moving from the floor. His body was heavy and after swinging his flashlight around the room in a daze, he let his arm flop to the glass-covered floor. The com was back online, the blue light blinking through his hair softly, and he could hear buzzing, whispers and words hum through the static- though he couldn't yet comprehend what was being said. Lafayette's hushed tone, Hercules impatient huff, it all would have made a lot more sense to Hamilton if he could just allow himself to zone back into reality.

And yet the soft dust was so enamoring, the singing breeze so enchanting, the darkness so distracting. Zoning back in would be forgetting all that. It would be acknowledging how much pain his arms were in from the small shards of prickly glass. It would mean acknowledging that his shoulder felt that bit too tingly and throbbed periodically in a position that was just that bit too awkward. It meant opening his eyes to the real world and being shrouded by a different kind of darkness and a sad kind of silence. He didn't want to acknowledge any of that yet. Not when the breeze sang to him and the dust swayed like snow.

His world of solitude was halted by grating metal grinding on the red brick floor. Hamilton let his eyes slide up and meet the echoing footsteps that shattered the sounds of serenity. The dust became disturbed and a flashlight that was not his own spread light through the large, open room. He squeezed his eyes shut once more as a deafening rush of footsteps made their way over to the place he laid

"Alexander!" Lafayette exclaimed, kneeling at his side. Angelica shone the flashlight on his face and Hamilton grimaced at the light reds and warm oranges that danced behind his eyelids.

"How the hell did you manage this?" Angelica asked, taking the hint and setting her flashlight beside his, still on, but directed towards one of the walls.

"You promised you wouldn't leave me," Hamilton muttered, blinking his eyes open softly. As he looked at Angelica he clenched his hand into a tight fist- hoping the pain of the glass shards would stop the swarm of emotions from causing him to fall into a blubbering mess. It wasn't working. "The coms, the coms were gone," he stammered, his voice uncertain, "and I had to improvise." Alexander felt idiotic; he felt like a mess. The fears of the darkness and the height had crept in on him, and even now thoughts imprisonment hung over his head like a careless whisper.

Angelica stayed silent for a moment, sharing a hesitant glance with Lafayette. It was true, they did leave him quite literally hanging mid-air, and it wasn't like he hadn't voiced his concern about it literally five minutes before the incident.

"I'm sorry Hamilton, Abigail-" Angelica began, moving to put a comforting hand on his shoulder. Hamilton flinched back, letting out a sob of pain as the throb in his shoulder increased into a tearing burn. His eyes welled up with tears and he blinked them back down, turning his head, focusing on the singing breeze, focusing on the playful dust, focusing on the dark, sorrowful paintings.

"I- fuck, I don't need- Christ that hurts- " he groaned, sitting up slowly and clutching at his shoulder, "We'll talk about this later." he stammered. They, of course, would not be talking about it later. No matter how unhappy Hamilton was about the situation, the situation was one that he wished to forget. Perhaps not forgive, not yet, but forget. They were still in the middle of a job and it would just be another set back on the work at hand. They needed to finish the job. "Do you think Seabury could set a shoulder?"

"Set a shoulder? You dislocated your shoulder?" Lafayette exclaimed, his voice loaded with concern, but not surprise, "How is it that you always do this? Not a single job with you that you haven't gotten hurt." He muttered, shaking his head as Angelica bent down to pick up Hamilton, lifting herself back to a standing position, carrying the small man bridal style in her arms.

"Not my fault," Hamilton muttered pointedly, rolling into Angelica's strong grip. He knew he could definitely walk... probably. However, he wasn't in the mood to do such a thing, and the comfort of his friend's stiff arms holding him was soothing, so he let the happening pass.

They began to walk from the dark building, Lafayette didn't follow, instead removing his jacket and laying it onto the place Hamilton had been only moment ago. It wasn't much, but small splashes of blood stained the glass- and having it stain the floor was the last thing anyone wanted. Hamilton closed his eyes shut and gritted his teeth, watching the static gray shake of his eyelids and focusing on his breathing, rather than the mild commotion around him. He bounced in Angelica's arms, and he could hear her whispering to him as she walked. He didn't pay attention to the words.

"Sea-Lancelot!" Angelica called. Hamilton opened his eyes once more, looking around to face the back of the chapel; to face the group. So they had gone back to the code names? Hamilton silently wished he could remember what they were. "You can set dislocated shoulders, right?" Angelica asked, setting Hamilton down on the ground carefully. The grass was a comforting change from the bricks of the inner chapel. It was short, probably green, and cool against his bare, bloodied arms.

The back of the building didn't seem much different to before. However, there were two noticeable differences.

For one, Abigail was now blindfolded and her hands were tied behind her back. They hadn't been expecting to hold anyone hostage and Hamilton had to temporarily wonder where they got the material from. His questions were quickly answered when he saw the rips at the cuffs of Seabury's cargo pants and the torn edges of his dark shirt.

Secondly: Lee. The man was also tied up, less tightly of course and he wasn't blindfolded like Abigail. His com was hidden beneath a beanie that Hamilton could only guess Herc had had spare. They had obviously gone with his plan, and Lee didn't look happy about it at all.

"Umm, I can try?" Seabury stammered, "I have done it before, but that was... a while ago." he gulped, teetering over to where Hamilton laid on the soft, cool ground. The man bit his lip, looking at the glass covering his palms and forearm and the drying blood that stained his arms, Samuel winced slightly. Hamilton was losing faith.

"Can you do it or not?" Hamilton asked, his voice as even as he could make it. He was trying so very hard not to cry, especially in front of Samuel Seabury. But the spiking pain was exhausting and continuous.

"I know how to set a shoulder." A voice piped up. Seabury looked over his shoulder at the tied up guard and Hamilton followed his gaze. Abigail was sitting up, leaning forward in their general direction.

"Shut it, or-" Angelica began, Seabury held up a hand and she glared at him. Nobody shut Angelica up without consequence, and Hamilton was sure that Samuel would be getting a stern talking to later.

"Let's hear her out," Seabury muttered.

"Your friend there is going to be in a lot of pain." Abigail tried, her voice sounded strained. Hamilton knew she was scared- and rightfully so. She was a hostage surrounded by men who had quite literally knocked her out. "And, and for something like that," she licked her lips, "Something like that, you'd need to go to a hospital if you wait too long, or, you should go to a hospital anyway."

Hamilton knew hospitals were a no go. He hated hospitals, and there was no way he was going to willingly walk into one like a sitting duck. Burr was often pretty good at getting him fixed up if things got too bad, and Laurens knew a bit of first aid- but Abigail was right. If he waited too long it could get worse. And even now, there was no way he could help in the heist if he had a dislocated shoulder.

"Okay, you all be idiots, I'm going to go help with the actual job." Angelica huffed, beginning to walk away, her hands in the air in obvious protest.

Angelica was a smart woman, but the more Alexander thought about Seabury putting his shoulder back, the more he disliked the idea. Hamilton looked at Seabury and after a moment nodded.

"No offense, but I don't trust you with this, man." Hamilton muttered, wincing slightly as he shifted position. Seabury laughed lightly, shrugging it off and seeming somewhat relieved.

"I don't trust myself with it either." he agreed. Hamilton felt himself smile as Seabury went over to Abigail, guiding her over. Alexander turned his head away and Seabury whispered instructions and threats, removing her blindfold and arm restraints.

"I can't watch this. You'll be cool here? Good." Seabury muttered, leaving swiftly to help Angelica and Lafayette before Hamilton could even begin to protest.

"Any funny business and I'll let you know." Hercules chimed in over the com. It was reassuring, but Hercules had to have his eyes in a lot of places. Hamilton wasn't sure this was a good idea, but now? Now he had no choice.

Abigail bent down, beginning to pull the arm back into place. It was a slow, hard process. Hamilton had closed his eyes immediately and his breathing had peaked within seconds. Tears streamed down his face and he stuffed his fist in his mouth to keep himself from screaming. The sensation of burning took over his body and fire sparked behind his eyes. Slowly, slowly, slowly- clunk.

The bone realigned and Hamilton, now in significantly less pain, let his hand drop from his mouth and his head roll back onto the grass, relieved that the worst of it was over.

"Fuck, that hurt." he groaned, opening his eyes and sitting up slowly, "Thanks." he muttered, turning to look at Abigail in genuine thanks, however when he turned she was nowhere to be seen.

"Herc, what the- where-?" The click of a gun caught his attention and a strong arm wrapped around his chest.

"Don't mention it." Abigail huffed, forcing him up.

Hamilton should have been more surprised. He really should have, but this whole mission was seeming to be a lot more of a disaster than it needed to be. Perhaps if Lafayette were in this situation he would be more shocked, or if Angelica has been caught - but it was no surprise to him that he was the one here now. Although, if he were honest, he had no idea where she had gotten the gun from. Lee was the only one who took a gun to these things, and Seabury had had her gun last he saw. Whatever had happened out here while he was hanging had apparently allowed her to get hold of something now.

"Shit- Hamilton- fuck," Hercules swore, a buzz of static hummed through the com, swiftly replace by the sound of something clattering to the floor and a door slamming shut. Hamilton knew Hercules would be here soon enough.

"Call them out here," she ordered. Hamilton rolled his eyes, already done with the act.

"Do I really have to? This whole thing seems kind of pointless. You know how this is going to play out, I know how this is going to play out. And it's not with any of us getting shot. You know why? I can guess wh-" Hamilton was cut off abruptly.

"Do you shut up? Call them out here!" she growled, keeping the gun firmly against his temple.

"Wouldn't it be easier if we went to them?" he asked meekly.

"I won't ask again."

"Urgh, fine," he sighed, "Guys, I'm in a bad situation again. Save my ass? Please?" he muttered, lifting a hand to the com and throwing a look at Lee who was watching with a small smirk. Hamilton damn hoped that that man wasn't going to be a self-centered prick.

Hercules, as Hamilton predicted, was the first to show. He had run from the van, his com no longer in place and a look of anger settled on his face. Hamilton couldn't tell who the anger was directed at, but he really hoped it wasn't at him, anyone on the other side of Herc's wrath was not in a good position.

"Sorry man!" Hamilton apologized, Hercules simply shook his head, waving a hand dismissively. It made Hamilton feel even worse.

"Didn't I tell you to shut up?" Abigail asked, keeping her eyes trained on Hercules.

"Everyone tells me to shut up at some point." Hamilton countered, glancing to the side of the building as Angelica and Seabury came around. The look of pure disappointment on Angelica's face was one that Alexander didn't think he'd ever forget.

"What do you want?" Angelica asked, folding her arms and watching the two of them. Hamilton could tell that Lafayette had forced her into this. If it where her choice she wouldn't have even bothered coming around, probably would have let him get shot if it meant he'd learn from a stupid mistake.

"My radio," Abigail stated. Seabury had taken most of her equipment for safe keeping, from what Hamilton understood of it. He glanced between the group, looking through his pockets as his eyes fell on the gun in Abigail's hand. He looked quite shaken and Hamilton assumed that she must have managed to steal it before she fixed his arm. Angelica shook her head with disgust.

"Just do it," Hercules snapped, looking at Seabury. Angelica sent a deadly glare his way, but Hercules brushed it off. The man would never let Hamilton simply die, and the sight of him being threatened was sickening enough.

"Fine," Seabury muttered, moving towards her slowly. Hamilton couldn't help but feel a hint of relief. Abigail lowered her gun slightly and loosened her grip on Hamilton as Seabury went to pass her the radio.

"No. Hold onto it," she ordered after a moment of staring at the item. Her grip tightened once more and Seabury glanced at Hamilton before shuffling closer, raising the radio to her mouth and switching it on.

"Rothko Chapel has been compromised. I repeat Rothko-" as she spoke into the com quickly, she lowered the gun, loosening the grip on Hamilton. With a nod at Seabury, Hamilton pushed his elbow back into her ribcage with a groan. Instantly, Abigail raised the gun, firing into the air before getting swiftly knocked out by Lee from behind. The air was filled with labored breathing as the members of the heist looked around, appreciating the lack of threats amongst the silence.

And then the sirens started.

"Shit." Hercules swore, "You guys keep going, I'll get visual. And someone get Lafayette out here." Hercules barked, running back to the van. Hamilton looked around as Seabury and Lee began to work on de-rigging the harness device. Alexander turned to Angelica, but she was already running for the building. Hamilton began to follow- watching as Angelica and Lafayette turned out of the entrance, carrying two dark paintings between them.

Hamilton turned into the building himself. There were only two originals left on the wall, two paintings waiting to be put up. Working as fast as he could in his weakened state, Hamilton began to unfix a deep gray and black painting. It was hard work, but soon enough the piece lied on the ground, safe, and ready to be taken to the van.

Lee and Seabury had run in not too long after, Seabury holding a pair of shoes Hamilton recognized as his own. Without time for thanks, Hamilton slipped them on, and while Lee worked on the last painting, Seabury and Hamilton began to carry the current one into the van.

The sirens were getting closer.

"Guys, I've lost vision." Hercules' voice was rushed and worried, "Drop what you are doing Lee, help Seabury and Hamilton. We need to go." he instructed. Alexander and Samuel shared a look.

Lee didn't show.

Blue and red swirls were beginning to reflect off the road and windows.

"Shit, where is Lee?" Lafayette asked from the driver's seat as Seabury and Hamilton clambered into the van, setting down the painting with the others.

"Still inside." Hamilton breathed, collapsing onto a seat. He could hardly feel his arms anymore and he knew there was no way he was getting back out of the van- not now.

"We can't stay here," Angelica muttered, looking at Hercules who was frantically trying to get his connection back.

"We can't leave him either!" Seabury argued, standing up. "I'm going back." he declared, Angelica reached out towards him, but he was already gone.

"Shit." Hamilton muttered, "Don't be a hero Seabury we need to go now!" Hamilton shouted into the com,

"I'm almost done I'm putting up the forgery now and then-" Lee began.

The lights were here. The sirens were deafening. They were close, too close. Cars began to come to a halt and Hercules swore.

"We have to go now!" Hamilton shouted.

"But Lee and Seabury-" Hercules looked at Hamilton.

"Hamilton is right, it's them or all of us." Lafayette hit hard on the accelerator. The van began zooming and Hamilton clung hard onto the seat as Angelica grabbed a first aid kit from the back. The sirens continued to blaze and the lights danced on the side of the chapel. Hamilton risked a glance out the window, but not much could be seen.

"They'll be okay, right?" Hamilton stammered after a moment, his voice a whisper as he looked at Angelica. She worked on pulling the glass from his palms, not looking up, not making a sound.

Bang; one shot.

Bang; two shots.

The blasts buzzed through the coms and vibrated through the ground. Silence fell over the van as it pummeled down the dimly lit street.

The unknown was often unsettling. The mystery, intriguing. Whatever had happened to Seabury and Lee that night, Hamilton knew it would never be spoken of again.

In this line of business; nobody dared to look back.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve had a very busy week and have another super busy week ahead of me. Idk if the next chapter will be on time, but I will try my best.


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